3 New Cases Of Measles Reported In GA, Record Number In US

ATLANTA, GA — Measles, a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that was all but wiped out in the United States nine years ago, has climbed to its highest level in 25 years at around 700 cases so far in 2019. Federal and state health officials say the resurgence of the disease is tied to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. In Georgia, there are six confirmed cases of the measles.

Three new cases of measles were confirmed in Georgia on April 25, in addition to three cases reported in January 2019, state health officials say. The infected patients are family members who were all unvaccinated, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. No deaths have been reported from the Georgia outbreak.

Measles spread quickly from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms start with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat. Then a rash spreads over the body. Complications are more common in children younger than age 5 and adults over 20, and include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling) and death.

"Vaccination is paramount to good health, especially when it comes to highly contagious viral infections, like measles. Measles was considered eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 because an effective vaccination program was developed," the Georgia Department of Public Health says.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 695 cases had been reported in 22 states as of Wednesday afternoon, up from 626 reported Monday. Public health officials warned the number of confirmed measles cases will likely climb even higher. With eight months to go in 2019, this is the worst year for measles in the United States since 1994, when there were 963 cases during the entire 12 months, the agency said.

Among the 22 states confirming measles, New York, California, Washington state and Michigan have high numbers of measles cases. Other states reporting measles are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Tennessee.

The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune.

Children should receive two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine at 1 year of age and 4 to 6 years of age, the agency say. Adults who have not received the vaccine should become immunized. Vaccination prevents illness, complications and sometimes even death.

To prevent measles and other viruses the health department urges Georgians to:

• Vaccinate your children. Georgia requires immunization from measles and other viruses for child care and school attendance.
• Contact the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services, or GRITS, at 1-888-523-8076 to obtain vaccination records if you are uncertain if you have been vaccinated. Anyone who has never received the measles vaccination should become immunized.
• Be aware of immunization schedules. Certain vaccinations are only needed once or twice, like the measles vaccination. Others may be needed more often, like an annual flu shot. Know when and how often you and your family should be vaccinated.
• Make sure you are protected when you travel. Different places handle viruses and immunizations differently.
• Get vaccinated during pregnancy. Vaccines during pregnancy for whooping cough, flu and others are beneficial.
• Keep unvaccinated children at home during viral outbreaks. If a viral outbreak occurs, and your child is not vaccinated, do not take them to school, or they will become infected.
• Talk with your child’s health care provider about your immunization concerns. A lot has been said about immunizations. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider.

If you or a family member becomes infected with measles, avoid public places until about four days after the onset of the rash. Call your doctor before visiting a clinic, so they may take precautions to prevent the spread of measles.

Sixty-one of the new cases were reported in New York state, where outbreaks have occurred among unvaccinated members of ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County. About three-fourths of the U.S. measles cases are in those communities, and public health officials are worried cases could surge among those groups after Passover gatherings. It takes from 10 to 12 days for symptoms of measles to occur.

“There's a lot of misinformation from this anti-vaccine movement within the community,” Dr. Joseph Kaplovitz, a pediatrician who serves the ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, told The Associated Press. “Some of the misinformation is that it causes autism, that the vaccines contain mercury, that the disease itself will protect them from cancer, eczema.”

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis generally have no religious objections to vaccines and have urged their followers to get inoculated. But the "anti-vaxxer" movement has made inroads among the ultra-Orthodox, even though they have little exposure to the internet.

The MMR vaccine to prevent measles, mumps and rubella (also known as German measles) has been used for nearly 50 years in the United States. Measles and rubella were completely eradicated, and mumps cases decreased by 99 percent as result of widespread use of the vaccine.

Researchers have confirmed the safety and effectiveness of the MMR vaccine and have demonstrated that use of the vaccine is not associated with the development of autism, Marks said, acknowledging one of the concerns of so-called "anti-vaxxers."

The MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective in preventing both measles and rubella if given according to CDC guidelines, which call for two doses beginning at 1 year. There are some generally mild and short-lived side effects, such as a rash or fever.